Ep 1. We Expect

Last Chance U is a documentary series that follows the lives of student-athletes as they navigate the challenges of community college football. In season 3 episode 1, titled "We Expect," the show picks up with a brand new team: the Independence Pirates of Independence Community College in Kansas.

The episode opens with a bit of background on the team's new head coach, Jason Brown. Brown is a charismatic, no-nonsense guy who clearly loves football and has high expectations for his players. He tells the camera that he wants to "build a championship program" at Independence, and that he expects his team to be the best.

We then meet some of the players who will be major players on the team this season. There's Malik Henry, a quarterback who transferred from Florida State in hopes of reviving his career. He's supremely talented but has a bit of a troubled past, having been kicked off the FSU team for disciplinary issues. There's also Bobby Bruce, a defensive back who has a reputation for being a troublemaker but who seems to be turning over a new leaf. Finally, we meet Emmit Gooden, a defensive lineman who's hoping to catch the attention of Division I scouts after having been overlooked in high school.

The first few days of camp are tough for the players. They're working hard, getting up at 5am for conditioning drills and spending long hours on the practice field. Coach Brown is intense and demanding, yelling at players who don't meet his expectations and pushing them to be better. Malik, in particular, struggles with the coach's tough love approach, saying that he's "never been talked to like that before."

Throughout the episode, we see glimpses of the struggles these players are facing off the field. Bobby, who comes from a rough background in Florida, is dealing with the recent death of his brother and the fact that his mother is in jail. Malik, who's from a well-off family in California, is grappling with feelings of guilt over his past mistakes and the fact that he's let down people who believed in him. Emmit is trying to stay focused despite the distractions of social media and friends who want to party.

Despite these challenges, the team is starting to come together. They're bonding through grueling workouts and late-night team meetings, and there are signs that the players are starting to believe in themselves and each other. In one scene, the team plays a game where they have to work together to lift a heavy log off the ground, and they're all pumped up when they successfully complete the task.

At the end of the episode, coach Brown tells the team that he expects them to win every game this season. He tells them that he believes they can be the best team in the country if they work hard and stay focused. The players are fired up by his words, and they head off to bed with a sense of optimism and purpose.

Overall, "We Expect" is an inspiring start to season 3 of Last Chance U. The show does an excellent job of introducing viewers to a new group of intriguing and complex players, and it sets up some compelling storylines to follow throughout the season. The emphasis on the tough love coaching style of Coach Brown adds an extra layer of drama to the show, and viewers will surely be rooting for these underdogs to succeed against the odds.